"Smith et al." refers to a citation format used in academic writing to indicate that a work has multiple authors. The term "et al." is short for the Latin phrase "et alia," meaning "and others." When a source has three or more authors, the first author's last name is listed followed by "et al." to simplify the reference. This citation style helps streamline academic texts, making them easier to read while still giving credit to all contributors. It is commonly used in various fields, including science, social sciences, and humanities, ensuring that readers can locate the original source without listing every author.